Cam-actuating means for knitting machines



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 14, 1958 r H. s. BURDETT 2,819,599

CAM-ACTUATING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 14, 1958 s, BURDETT 2,819,599

CAM-ACTUATING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States atent 2,819,599 Patented Jan. 14, 1958 'Fice CAM ACTUATING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Henry Sidney'llurdett, Knighton, England, assignorfo G. Stibbe & Co. Limited, Leicester, England, a British company Application December 5, 1955, Serial No; 551,151

12 Claims. (Cl; 66-59) This invention appert'ains toielements used in knitting machines for actuating butted knitting instruments.

The invention concerns particularly mechanism for moving, and controlling the movements, of such elements to selected pie-determined positionsin relation to a series of operating, selector or other butts of varying lengths provided on. needles, associatedneedle-actuating jacks or sliders or on any other-appropriate knitting instrumentalities.

Thus, alth'oughtheinvention may advantageously be applied to mechanism for'moving and controlling axial movements of bolt cams, there is no limitation in this respect. For instance, it'may'. also be applied to similar mechanism for actuatingnarrowing'or even widening pickers of, say, seamless hose machines. But for convenience in thefollowing further description the latter will be concentratedmoreespecially upon bolt cams, it being clearlyunders-tood; however, that theterm bolt cam is used in a generic sense and is intended to include, where the contextso admits, any other appropriate cam, picker or similarly functioning element of a knitting machine.

The invention, moreover, is primarily intended for application to circular knitting machines such, for example, as those adapted to produce seamless hose, halfhose and the like, althoughitmay alsobe appliedto straight-bar or flatknitting machines wherein thetraversible cam carriages-are equipped with cams of the bolt type.

As is well k n'owmtotthose 'acquainted withthe art con cerned, a bolt cam can either"(a) be-allowed "to move right in to a positionin whichits operative extremity is located 1 close to -th e bed in which theknitting instrumentsarevarranged to function, or (b) be fully withdrawn to. an inoperative 'position in =Which its operative extremityis sufficiently:spaced away-from'the' said bed as to be clear of all the :butts ofi the series, or (c) be moved to anlinterme'diate position, .or a selected one of a :plurality of intermediate positions; asr-ithe case :may be.

Accordingly, whenever: it ispermittedto.move right in a .boltwcam will engagteallithe butts of the seriesirrespective of their lengths Upon beingvfully Withdrawn, the said cam'-wil-l miss allof ithe': butts so thatlnonefof the corresponding instruments will be displaced endwise by the cam. Butif and when, on the other'hand', the bolt cam is moved to aapredetermin'ed: intermediatevpositionit will engage -only1butts-of=an-appropriate length and 'miss the. remainder. of the series of. butts.

Bolt cams are of arious forms-and-are=used for a variety oflpurposes of which may bementioned, merely by way of example. /z-lift\cams in seamless hose-machines for raising instep needles to heeling height, feed cams for directing butts onto stitch cams, press-otf cams, up-throw cams, and so on;

Now abolt *cam is commonly actuated. and. controlled from cam pjortions'ofditferent heights 'onf-a control unit, e. gl'drum, through the mediumof a suitably'fulcru'mmed cam lever and afiexible cableofthe B owden type; This cable, which is attached to the cam lever atone end, hasheretofore-been anchored. at its opposite end directly to a' slide carrying the bolt cam. Since, therefore, a flexible cable of the type concerned eventually stretches, the precise pre-set positions towhich the bolt cam is movable ultimately become upset with disadvantageous and sometimes dangerous and costly results.

The object ofthe present invention isto obviate this difiiculty by the provision of an improved and eliicient actuating mechanism of simpleconstruction whereby the initialaccuracy of the preset positions of a bolt cam or other appropriate element'is maintained throughout the life of the mechanism notwithstanding stretching of the cable.

According to'this invention, one end of a. cam-actuated flexible cable is anchored "to a slidable component which has a stepped formation or formations and is adapted to be-movedto differentpo'sitions 'under control, and there is interposed between the stepped component and a part oforon a suitably biassed carrier for an element, such as 'a bolt cam, to be actuated, a movable member movements of which to dispose the element in alternative. preset positions are controlledby the said slidable component.

In a convenient arrangement of the improved bolt cam or lilie actuating mechanism; the stepped control component is slidable rectilinearly and is provided'with longitudinally extending connected surfaces, i. e. steps, located at respectively different distances outwardly from the median line of the component. The outer step, viz, that farthestaway from the median line, may advantageously be constituted by a portion of the exteriorsurface of the component, whilst theremaining step or steps may be formed by appropriately recessing the component. In any. event, .thestep'sext'end parallel .to the median line and may advantageously beconnected by inclined surfaces obliquely disposed "with respect to the said line.

Thus, althoughit is within the scope of the invention for the stepped control component to consist of a suitably recessed slideof square, oblong or relatively fiat section, it ispreferred that it shall be constituted by a circumferentially grooved plunger of cylindrical form. In the latter case the cylindrical plunger may be bored right through axiallyto accommodate the flexible cable and counten bored at the appropriate" end thereof to receive a conventional nipple tdwhicli-the end of'the cable remote from the principal control unit is attached.

The stepped control component is arranged to he pulled by thecable in one direction against springor weight action, and, when permitted, moves in the opposite direction under 'the said action.

The aforementioned movable member interposed between the steppedcontrol component and a part of or onthe biassedcarrier for the bolt cam or the like is provided with an arm or a nose-like protuberance for contact with the stepped surface of the control component so that the particular step opposing this arm or protuberance-can be changed to effect a desired change in the positionof the bolt cam or the like simply by shifting the componentlongitudinally to a required extent (not critical) in the appropriate direction. It will accordinglybe appreciated that the positions to which the bolt cam or the like is movable are determined by the permanentlyunchanging distanceof the steps from the median line, e. gJIongitUdinal axis,.ofthe stepped component, and not byfhedistances through which the component is shifted longitudinally and which are likely, to varydue to the stretching, ofthe cable. Toachieve the desired result, each of the steps must, of course,-be of avsufiicient lengthto allow for the consequential slight variations in the positions'to' Whichthe stepped control component is shifted; Thus, the'aecuracy ofthe preset positions of the bolt cam or the like is permanently maintained notwithstanding stretching of the cable.

In one embodiment of the invention, the stepped control component is arranged for rectilinear sliding movement within a casing disposed either at any convenient angle, or parallel to the bolt cam or like carrier, in which instance an opening is provided in the wall of the casing to enable the aforesaid arm or nose-like protuberance of the movable member to extend therethrough for engagement with the steps.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical elfect, a specific constructional example thereof as applied to a circular knitting machine will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, illustrating a bolt cam and mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention for actuating the same, the cam being shown right in so that it will engage all the needle butts of a series, t

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken on the line 11-11 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a part-sectional plan view similar to Figure 1, but showing the bolt cam fully withdrawn so as to miss all of the butts,

Figure 4 is yet another similar plan view--this time showing the bolt cam moved to an intermediate position to engage only long butts, and

Figure 5 is a general perspective view depicting, in

diagrammatic fashion, the control drum from which the flexible cable anchored to the slidable stepped component is controlled through the medium of a fulcrummed cam lever.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a portion of the bottom or plain needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine of the superimposed needle cylinder type. This cylinder has formed therein, in the usual way, axially extending tricks or grooves 2 to receive bottom needle-actuating sliders 3. One of the double-ended latch needles with which such sliders are engaged is represented at 4 in Figure 2. Each of the sliders 3 has formed thereon an upper knitting butt 5 and a lower transfer butt 6 (Figure 2). Of the butts 6 in the specific arrangement shown some of them are long and others short. In each of Figures 1, 3 and 4 the long and the short butts are indicated at 6a and 6b respectively.

For action upon the slider butts 6there is provided a. bolt cam 7. As will be seen,this cam is provided at the leading end of a horizontal slide 8,which is mounted for rectilinear sliding movement in a fixed bracket 9 located adjacentand extending radially or substantially so with respect to the needle cylinder'l. To a peg 10 (see Figure 2) depending from the rear end of the bolt cam slide 8 is attached one end of a tension spring 11 the opposite end of which is anchored to a pin 12 fitted in a groove 13 formed in the front of the fixed bracket 9. Upon the top of the slide 8 is secured, by means of screws 14 and 15, a rectangular plate 16' the rear end of which extends somewhat beyond the slide and has a vertically disposed tail portion 16a. Thus, by pressing on the front face of this upstanding tail portion 16a the slide 8, and hence also the bolt; cam 7, can be withdrawn in a direction away from the needle cylinder 1 against the action of the tension spring 11. Conversely, by relieving the pressure on the tail portion 16a of the plate 16, the slide 8 is'permitted to move. forwardly towards the needle cylinder 1 under the, action of the spring 11. Mounted to turn about a vertical headed spindle 17 set in a portion 9a of the fixed bracket 9 adjacent to the bolt cam slide 8 is the hub 18a of a two-armed lever 18. The arms 18b and 180 of this lever are relatively disposed at an angle much in the same way as the arms of a bell crank, but as illustrated in Figure 2, are located in suitably spaced horizontal planes. The lower arm 18b which is integral with the hub 18a, is short and nose-like and is directed rearwardly, i. e. away from the needle cylinder 1. The upper arm 18c is somewhat longer and initially separate from the hub, being rigidly secured upon an upper reduced portion 18d of the latter-immediately beneath the head 17a of the spindle 17. The outer end of the upper arm 18c is arranged in contact with the front face of the upstanding tail portion 16a of the rectangular plate 16. It is convenient here to mention that provision, e. g. in the form of screw means such as those indicated at 19 in Figures 1 and 2, may be made for longitudinal adjustment of this rectangular plate 16 relatively to the bolt cam slide 8.

Formed integrally with the rear portion of the fixed bracket 9 and disposed at right angles to the bolt cam slide 8 is a barrel-like casing 20 which is axially bored as at 21 from end to end to receive a stepped control plunger 22 of cylindrical form. The outer end of the casing 26 is counter-bored at23 and tapped to receive a correspondingly screw-threaded inner portion of a hollow plug 24 through which the appropriate end of the flexible cable 25 extends. The corresponding end portion of the tubular sheath or cover 26 of the cable 25 is fitted into the outer end of the plug 24. The cylindrical control plunger 22 is circumferentially grooved to dilferent depths at 27 and 28, intermediate its ends, to form therein two steps 22a and 22b separated by an intervening portion 22c of truncated conical form. The cylindrical surface 22d of the un-grooved end portion of the control element adjoining the shallower (22b) of these two steps constitutes a third stepseparated from the said shallower step by a further portion 222 of truncated conical form. Being cylindrical, the stepped control plunger can be accurately ground to present the three steps 22a, 22b and 22d at the required radial distances from the longitudinal axis a of the plunger. The stepped plunger 22 is bored right through axially as indicated at 29 to permit of the cable 25 being threaded therethrough and, at its end remote from the hollow plug 24 is formed with a counter-bore 30 to receive a nipple 31 to which the cable 25 is attached. A compression spring 32 housed within the barrel-like casing 20 and arranged to surround the flexible cable is interposed between the inner end of the stepped cylindrical plunger 22 and the opposed end of the hollow plug 24. Thus, whenever a pull is exerted on the flexible cable 25, the stepped control plunger 22 will be drawn along within its casing 20 against the action of the compression spring 32. When, on the other hand, the cable 25 is released, the control plunger 22 will slide in the opposite direction under the action of the said spring. In the side of the barrel-like casing 20 is formed a rectangular opening 20a through which projects the shorter, i. e. lower, arm 18b of the pivoted two-armed lever 18 for contact with the surface of the control plunger. The tension spring 11 controlling the bolt cam slide 8 maintains the upstanding tail portion 16a of the superimposed rectangular plate 16 in engagement with the end of the longer arm 18c and also serves to hold the shorter arm 18b in contact with the stepped control plunger 22.

The end of the flexible cable 25 remote from the stepped control plunger 22 is, as illustrated in Figure 5, attached in the customary manner to the tail 33a of a two-armed cam lever 33 the toe 33b of which is arranged to be acted upon by a cam 34 secured upon a control drum 35. The cam 34 has stepped portions 34a and 34b of two heights. The end of the tubular sheath or cover 26 of the cable 25 remote from the hollow plug 24 is fitted into an enlarged counter-bored end 36a of an exteriorly screw-threaded element 36 which is screwed into and is adjustable within a tapped hole formed in a fixed support 37., The element is secured in position after an adjustment by means of a lookout 38. It should be explained that; Figure ,5 is purelydiagrammatic, the

end, of the controldrumBSrbeingashown, forrconvenience,

in approximately the same plane-,as-,the cam .slide- 8 (and with. the drum axis parallel towthat ofthe needle cylinder 1.: In practice, of course thesaid drum: isdisposed with its axis horizontal, i. 6:311. ,rightangles to the vertical axis of the cylinder 1; thusfor the .drum 35 to be:viewed in its trueposition in relation to the bolt cam actuating mechanism shown attthe top of Figure 5, theappropriate portion of the paper upon which this figure is printed would require to be benttdownat right angles.

The construction and arrangement of the mechanism areaccordingly such that whenever the toe 33b of the cam 1everL33, is ,in contact with/the surface :of the control ,drumt35, ime. with no cam beneath it, the stepped controlplunger 22 will be held, by theassociated compression spring 32,- at oneextreme positionswith the step 22a which .is nearestto theaxis a of the plunger (i. ,e. the step ofleast diameter) opposing the:shorter arm 18b of the pivotedtwo-armed lever 18. In these condi tions the boltcam slide 8 willlbe in its mostadvanced position with the bolt cam 7 located .closelyadjacent to the needle cylinder, 1 and, thereby disposed, for actionv von bothshort butts 6b and long butts 26a (see Figure 1 If new the control drum 35 is turned to locate beneath the toe, 33b of the cam lever 33, a cam portion 34a of the lesser oftthe two heights aforesaid, the stepped control plunger 22 -will be pulled by the cable :25 against the spring action to. positionthe middle step 221;. in contact with the shorter arm 18b (Figuret4), As ,a consequence the bolt cam 7 will be partially withdrawn to such aposition, that'it will f engage the-.long3butts 6a and miss the short butts-6b.. By locating beneath the said toe 33b a cam portion 34b of the greater of the two heights, the stepped controlplunger will be pulled still further "against the action of the spring 32 -to position the'step 22a of greatestdiameter incontact with the shorter arm 18b and thereby fully withdraw the bolt cam 7 to its inoperative position clear of both the long butts 6a and short butts 6b (Figure 3). By causing the toe 33b of the cam lever 33 to drop off the higher cam portion 34b onto a lower cam portion 34a and then off said lower cam portion onto the surface of the control drum 35 the opposite results are achieved.

As will be appreciated, it is by no means necessary that the step of least diameter should be relied on to determine the right in position of the bolt cam. Accordingly, a gap may be left between this step and the end of the shorter arm.

The number of steps on the control plunger may be r increased beyond three if there are three or more different lengths of butts.

In a modification, the casing for the stepped control plunger is arranged beneath and parallel to the bolt cam slide 8.

I claim:

1. In a knitting machine, in combination, a bed, knitting instruments for operation in said bed, said instruments being provided with butts, an element for operating upon said butts for the purpose of actuating the instruments, a biassed carrier for the said element, a slidable component having at least one stepped formation, means including a flexible cable functioning to move the stepped component to different positions longitudinally, a control unit determining said positions, and, interposed between the stepped component and the element carrier, a movable member the movements of which are effected by said stepped component and are transmitted to the element suchwise as to dispose the latter in selected pre-set positions relatively to the butts.

2. In a knitting machine, in combination, an instrument bed, knitting instruments for operation in said bed, said instruments being provided with butts, an element for operating selectively upon said butts and thereby actuating selected instrumen sltatbiassedtcarrierzfor saidelem'ent which is movable rtoHdifierentapositions suchwise as to cause the element to actruponor: miss: desired butts, according to knitting requirementada. rectilinearly slidable stepped component'providedrwith longitudinally extending connected surfaces locatedat respectively difierent distances outwardlyrfrom the median line of the component,

means biassing the stepped component in one direction, a flexible cableanchored .at oneendtto the said component, lever means connected to the opposite end of the cable and movable in onesense to pull the stepped component against theabiassingtmeans to difierent positions longitudinally and in the opposite sense to permit of return movements of the steppedcomponent'under the action of .the biassing-means, a control unit determining the sense and extent of the movementsaof said levermeans, and, interposed between the steppedccomponent and the element carrier, a movable memberthe movements of which are effectediby said stepped component and are transmittedto therelement to dispose the latter in selected positions relatively; to the butts.

3".v Acombination according to claim 2, wherein the longitudinally extending connectedtsurfaces of the stepped component extend parallel to the median line of the latter and areconnectedby inclined surfaces obliquely disposed with. respect to the said line;

4.. A combination according to claim 3, wherein the stepped component is in the form of a circumferentially propriate end to receive a nipple to which .the end of the cable remote fromthe levermeans is attached.

6. A combination according to claim 5, wherein the stepped component is arranged-to be pulledby the cable in one directiontagainst a spring and, when permitted, to. be ,moved in the, opposite direction under the action of said-spring.

7. In a knitting machine,.,in combination, an instrument bed, knitting instruments for operation in said bed, said instruments being provided with butts, an element for operating selectively upon said butts and thereby actuating selected instruments, a biassed carrier for said element which is movable to difierent positions suchwise as to cause the element to act upon or miss desired butts, according to knitting requirements, a rectilinearly slidable stepped component provided with longitudinally extending connected surfaces, located at respectively different distances outwardly from the median line of the component, means biassing the stepped component in one direction, a flexible cable anchored at one end to the said component, lever means connected to the opposite end of the cable and movable in one sense to pull the stepped component against the biassing means to different positions longitudinally and in the opposite sense to permit of return movements of the stepped component under the action of the biassing means, a control unit determining the sense and extent of the movements of said lever means, a turnable two-armed member having first and second arms, the said first arm contacting the surface of the stepped component and the second arm being arranged to act on the biassed element carrier, and the construction being such that movements of the two-armed member effected and controlled by the stepped component, are transmitted to the element to dispose the latter in alternative posi tions relatively to the butts, and that any step opposing the said first arm can be changed to effect a desired change in the position of the element simply by shifting the stepped component longitudinally to a required extent in the appropriate direction.

8. A combination according to claim 7, wherein the stepped component is arranged for rectilinear sliding movement within a casing, and an opening is provided in the wall of the casing to enable the said first arm of the garden;

7, two-armed member to extend therethrough for engagement with the surfaceof the'ste ppe'd'com'ponent.

9. In a knitting machine, in combination, an instru' ment bed, knitting instruments for operation in said bed, said instruments being provided with butts of different lengths, a bolt cam for operating selectively upon said butts and thereby actuating selected instruments, a springinfiuenced slide upon the leading end of which said cam is provided, a fixed bracket in which said slide is slidable rectilinearly to different positions to cause the cam to act upon or miss desired butts, according to knitting require ments, a plate which is combined with the slide and has an upstanding tail portion, a rectilinearly slidable stepped component provided with longitudinally extending connected surfaces located at respectively different distances outwardly from the median line of the component, means biassing the stepped component in one direction, a flexible cable anchored at one end to the said component, lever means connected to the opposite end of the cable and movable in one sense to pull the stepped component against the biassing means to different positions longitudinally and in the opposite sense to permit of return movements of the stepped component under the action of the biassing means, a control unit determining the sense and extent of the movements of said lever means, and, interposed between the stepped component and the upstanding tail portion of the aforesaid plate, a turnable two-armed member mounted upon the fixed bracket with one arm contacting the surface of the stepped component and the other arm acting on the front of the said upstanding tail portion, the construction being such that turning movements of the two-armed member effectedand controlled by the stepped component are transmitted through the slide to the bolt cam to dispose the latter in various positions relatively to the butts.

10. A combination according to claim 9, wherein a hub of the two-armed member is mounted to turn about a headed spindle set in a portion of the fixed bracket adjacent to the bolt cam slide, the arms of said member being relatively disposed at an angle.

8 11. A'combination according to claim 9, wherein there isformed integrally with the'fixed bracket, a casing which is axially bored to receive the'stepped component.

12. In a knitting machine, in combination, an instrument bed, knitting-instruments for operation in said bed, said instruments being provided with butts, an element for operating selectively upon said butts and thereby actuating selected instruments, a biassed carrier for said element which is movable to different positions suchwise as to cause the element to act upon or miss desired butts, according to knitting requirements, a rectilinearly slidable stepped component provided with longitudinally extending connected surfaces, i. e. steps, located at respectively different distances outwardly from the median line of the component, means biassing the stepped component in one direction, a flexible cable anchored at one end to the said component, a fulcrumed cam lever which has a protuberant toe and is connected to the opposite end of the cable, said lever being turnable in one direction to pull the stepped component against the biassing means to different positions longitudinally and in the opposite direction to permit of return movements of the stepped component under the action of the biassing means, a control drum provided with a cam having portions of different heights for engagement with the toe of the cam lever, and, interposed between the stepped component and the element carrier, a movable member the movements of which are effected by said stepped component and are transmitted to the element to dispose the latter in selected positions relatively to the butts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,264,977 Houseman Dec. 2, 1941 2,457,782 Nadon Dec. 28, 1948 2,763,144 Bristow Sept. 18, 1956 

